Collapsible rack



March 31, 1970 w. LOEBNER coLLAPs-IBLE RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1968 W.LOEBNER 3,503,525

March 31, 1970 COLLAPSIBLE RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1968 United States Patent US. Cl. 211-177 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible rack comprising a pair of horizontal support bars which have vertical support bars mounted on them and a top horizontal hanger support mounts on and between the vertical support bars and can be removed from it. When this top horizontal hanger support unit is removed from the vertical support bars, the vertical support bars may be folded inward coplanar with the horizontal bars and the hanger support unit may then be secured to the horizontal bars, folding into a compact portable array. A wire brace is used to lock ordinary coat hangers in place to the hanger support.

Present coat racks are bulky objects to move around. Collapsible ones often require bolts, nuts, wrenches or various threaded members to unfold and collapse into a small compact unit.

It is therefore an object of this invention to have a portable coat rack which folds up into a complete compact unit without the use of any tools whatsoever.

It is another object of this invention to have a compact portable coat rack which rigidly secures any hangers thereon in place for ease of transportation.

Another object of this invention is to have a hanger support assembly of modular construction so that any desired number may be stacked up on the rack. In brief, the invention has vertical supports operable between a raised position and a collapsed position. In the first position a hanger support mounts on the vertical supports while in the second position the hanger support mounts to a pair of parallel bars used as a base to achieve a compact portable structure.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the claims taken in conjunction with the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a completely assembled rack;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a folded rack without the top horizontal support yet in place;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of two Ts of the invention with the invention fully unfolded;

FIG. 4 is a back view of the same two Ts with the invention fully folded;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the hanger support assembly ready to be secured to the bottom section;

FIG. 6 is a close-up side view in section of the wire locking means used to secure the hangers to the hanger support means when the device is to be collapsed.

FIG. 1 shows two parallel horizontal support bars 10, 10A with casters 11 located at the ends of each support bar. A first pair of Ts 12, 12A each have two stern bores, 14, 14A and 15, 15A. These Ts are frictional rotatably mounted on the horizontal bars 10, 10A respectively, by their through bores. A horizontal brace 13 is received by the first set of stem bores 14, 14A respectively in the first Ts. A second pair of Ts 16, 16A have the bars 10, 10A irrotationally going through the through bores. These Ts 16, 16A have but one stem bore a piece, numbered 17 and 17A. A pair of parallel vertical supports 18, 18A fit into the stem bores 17, 17A, respectively, and are in a first open raised position. A top horizontal hangar support indicated generally by the numeral 19 fits into the parallel supports 18, 18A. The hanger support 19 consists of modulator sub-units namely, a coat support 20 and a hat support 21.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show in more detail one' end of each of the subassemblies 20, 21. The assembly 20 consists of three horizontal parallel bars 20A, 20B, 20C secured by a bracket 22. A projection 23 secured to the bracket 22 fits into the support 18. A locking means or wire clamp 24 is secured at one end to the bracket 22 and at its other end clamps around the tube 20C as clearly shown in FIG. 6. The several hangers 25 will then be locked against tubes 20A, 208. This is the compact folded mode of the invention with the hangers 25 locked. When in use, the clamp 24 would be unclamped from the tube 20C and allowed to hang free along the outside of the bracket 22. The hangers 25 would then hang down loose being supported by tube 20C in the normal manner. The unit 21 consists of an end bracket 26, which fits into the top of the bracket 22 by the projection 90. A hole 27 in the brackets 26 could receive another subassembly in modular fashion and so on indefinitely. The tubes 21A, 21B fit into the bracket 26 and are convenient for use as a hat rack.

FIG. 1 shows the invention in the fully assembled raised position. To collapse it the first step would be to remove the top horizontal hanger support 19 from the tubes 18, 18A. Then, the vertical supports 18, 18A would be folded inwardly until they lay flat, horizontally with the tubes 10, 10A in a collapsed position as is shown in FIG. 2. Note, that casters 11 are now also a coplanar with horizontal bars 10, 10A; this is due to the beforementioned irrotational coupling between Ts 16, 16A and bars 10, 10A respectively which have the effect of rotating casters 11 flat, when vertical supports 18, 18A are rotated to a lowered position. Then, hangers 25 would be inverted and wire clamp 24 snapped around onto tube 20C to secure hangers 25 in place. Then, top horizontal hanger support 19 would be plugged into stem bores 15, 15A. A strap not shown may be added around the middle section of brace 13 securing vertical supports 18, 18A in place. The entire unit may now be easily carried by one hand from preferably the middle of bar 20C this will be over the center of gravity of the system.

To set up the invention for use the above steps would be reversed. It should be noted that in opening out supports 11, 11A, 18, 18A the beforementioned frictional engagement of them with bars 10, 10A will prevent them from falling in until hanger support 19 is secured. FIG. 3 shows how hooks 50 prevent the supports 18 from falling outward (i.e. away from brace 13) until the hanger support 19 is in place.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible rack comprising: a pair of parallel bars; first and second pairs of Ts, first and second Ts of each pair mounted by their respective through bores to respective first and second of said horizontal bars, one of said T pairs being rotatably mounted; a brace mounted at each end to the stem bores of said first pair of Ts; a pair of supports each having a first end mounted to the respective stem bores of said second pair of Ts; whereby said supports are operable between raised and collapsed positions; a top assembly removably mounted on the supports spanning the distance therebetween; whereby with said supports in said raised position said top assembly is removed and said supports folded to said collapsed position to achieve a compact array.

2. A collapsible rack as in claim 1 wherein said first pair of Ts are rotatably mounted on said bars and said second pair of Ts are fixedly mounted on said bars; and further comprising four casters each respectively mounted to the four respective ends of the bars; and a pair of stops mounted to said second pair of TS respectively, perpendicular to the through bore-stem bore plane of each T; whereby said stops prevent further rotation of said supports keeping them in raised position for ease of attachment of said top assembly, and when said supports are rotated inwardly to said collapsed position said casters will be rotated into the plane of said bars to achieve a compact array.

3. A collapsible rack as in claim 1 wherein said first pair of TS each also have a second perpendicular bore, perpendicular to both said first perpendicular bore and said through bore, to receive said top assembly when said supports are fully folded in said collapsed position whereby a compact unit is formed convenient for carrying.

4. A collapsible rack as in claim 3 further comprising means for locking hangers in place onto said top assembly; whereby said locking means is engaged when said supports are folded to said collapsed position and said top assembly is secured to said first pair of T5 producing a very compact rack.

5. A collapsible rack as in claim 1 wherein each top assembly comprises a plurality a stacked modular subunits each capable of receiving another sub-unit stacked thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,344 2/1906 Howser 182-153 850,658 4/1907 Koonee 211-182 X 1,169,157 1/1916 Honold 211182 X 2,919,816 1/1960 Maslow 2l1182 X 3,341,028 9/1967 Nichols 2l1--182 X FOREIGN PATENTS 361,268 5/ 1962 Switzerland.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner WAYNE L. SHEDD, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

